


Inconvenient Truths About Propping Tony Stark

by Gibbs_yeah



Series: Inconvenient Truths [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Civil War Team Captain America, Don't copy to another site, Gen, Tony Stark is not a good bro, Tony Tore the Avengers Apart, canon-divergent, not Tony friendly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-08
Updated: 2019-04-02
Packaged: 2019-10-24 07:37:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 9,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17700305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gibbs_yeah/pseuds/Gibbs_yeah
Summary: Just a little collection of ficlets untwisting some of the prop-Tony myths.





	1. Tony didn't "sacrifice" himself in Iron Man 1

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the prop-Tony folks who didn't bother to tag properly and put Team Cap-bashing stuff in my feed.

It's interesting how many people tried to say that Steve was wrong about Tony in Avengers 1 because Tony had already sacrificed himself in Iron Man 1 by having Pepper set off the arc reactor. But as someone on the old IMDB forums pointed out, Tony wasn't actually sacrificing his life for some noble cause. Stane wasn't trying to conquer L.A., stomp puppies, or institute a genocidal regime. All Stane wanted was to kill Tony Stark. And all Tony was doing was playing the odds. He had a 100% chance of being killed by Stane if Tony did nothing, but at least a 50% chance of surviving if he had Pepper set off the reactor. Trying to save your own skin isn't a "sacrifice" at all.  
What if someone actually pointed that out?

*****

Christine Everhart fluffed her hair and waited for the cameraman's signal. She smiled at the camera and said, "So, here we are at Tony Stark's Malibu mansion, ready to have a few words with the man of the hour."

She turned to where Tony lounged in a throne-like chair and asked, "How does it feel to have survived a clash of Iron Men?"

Tony stretched and took a sip of whiskey. He leered at Christine, debating whether to ask her how SHE felt riding his joystick the other night. But then he shrugged and said, "When you're a genius superhero, it's all in a day's work."

As Tony finished speaking, Christine started to frown as she asked, "Is that what you are?"

Tony replied, "Well, I could call myself the Iron Not-Caped Crusader or the Man of Better than Steel, but yeah. I'm all the hero this world needs."

Now Christine's brows drew together as she glanced at the camera, then said, "It doesn't seem very heroic to go around boasting how great you are and what you've done. Especially since we've all seen the footage of your fight with Obadiah Stane. It was more of a street brawl than a battle of hero and villain."

Her lip curled as she stood and stared down at Tony. She said, "And also because it's so hard to tell which one you're supposed to be, given all you did and DIDN'T do as the supposed head of Stark Industries for the last two decades. Consider all the deaths your negligence caused. Deaths of innocents and soldiers---the REAL heros."

As Christine dropped the mic and left, the camera lingered on Tony as he slouched in his chair and grumbled about ungrateful bitches. But he didn't speak to the audience or lift his eyes. Almost like he was too ashamed to face the viewers who now knew what he really was.


	2. Tony Stark has NEVER been a doormat

Have you seen the ridiculous tag "Tony is not a doormat"? Are the prop-Tony folks using it somehow not aware that it contradicts the WAY more accurate "Tony Stark does what he wants" tag? And what movies do prop-Tony people watch? Because Tony has treated those around him like his personal accessories rather than actual people from Day 1, and he hasn't changed a bit. He treats his supposed friends like their only purpose is to serve his needs, ignores anyone else's opinions but his own, uses bullying, blackmail, and extortion to get his way, and stomps around like a toddler (or attacks unarmed people) when he doesn't get it. Tony Stark is a pig, not a lamb. But what if he tried to pull a "poor little me" routine on someone who knows better?

*****

Tony stalked across the room and flung himself into his cushy chair. He pouted as he said, "They're all a bunch of meanies!"

Pepper arched an eyebrow from where she sat doing actual work. She asked, "What?"

"I feel so used," Tony whined. He continued, "Here I decided to make the Avengers Tower and the Avengers facility because I wanted to, and when I tell those ingrates that they need to move back pronto now that Thanos is gone and the Snapped boys and girls are back they say they have other plans! Even the Spider kid is getting lippy since he stopped blowing in the wind."

Pepper frowned and looked over at her fiance. She said, "Well, Tony, people do have a right to make their own decisions." She decided not to point out that Thor, Wanda, Vision, Doctor Strange, Bruce, Natasha, and Steve were unlikely to ever trust Tony's plans again. And that Clint, Sam, and Sergeant Barnes had plenty of reasons to do a lot more to Tony than ignore him. (But THEY managed to behave like adults and control their impulses.)

Tony crossed his arms and settled into a sulk. He said, "NO ONE appreciates me. They all just walk all over me and disrespect me."

Pepper took a deep breath and reminded herself that for some bizarre reason she was supposed to be in love with Tony. She asked, "When exactly was that, Tony? Because I'm pretty sure I've never seen anyone 'walk all over you,' and the only time I've heard anyone got aggressive with you they were either under the influence of an alien artifact or trying to stop the murderbot you created by misusing that same artifact. Or, you know, trying to murder an innocent man."

Tony's mouth gaped. Then he said, "Don't YOU start with me. I bend over backwards for you and you know it. You could be a least a LITTLE grateful."

Their relationship flashed before Pepper's eyes. The 10 years of cleaning up Tony's messes and "taking out his trash" as his personal assistant. Having to chase Tony down and jump through hoops just to get him to sign a contract as his CEO. Being lied to about Iron Man and retirement as his fiancee. She stood and walked to the door. As she put her hand on the knob, she turned to Tony and said, "From what I've heard, YOU'VE been treating the Avengers like doormats, not the other way around. So I suggest you get FRIDAY to explain to you exactly what that phrase means and how badly you've treated EVERYONE else before you start complaining about how 'mean' ANYONE has been to you."

She went in search of a fruity cocktail--and maybe a cute bartender to flirt with as she sipped it.


	3. Tony Stark does what he wants (and that's not a good thing)

Inspired by Cornholio4's comment.  
Unlike the "Tony is a doormat" tag which has no evidence in canon, the "Tony Stark Does What He Wants" tag is a pretty good summary of Tony's character. He doesn't seem particularly interested in other people's needs or opinions, except on HIS terms. (Like how he ignored his responsibilities to the world for 17 years as Stark Industries' "leader.") He plows ahead without thinking most times, and even when he KNOWS it's the wrong thing to do, like dismissing the idea of talking with his teammates (or asking permission from Thor) before using Loki's scepter to build Ultron.  
What if someone stepped in to do some Tony Stark damage control?

*****

Tony finished browbeating Bruce into helping use the scepter to bring Ultron to life WITHOUT telling the other Avengers. He swaggered a little as he moved to one of his light-screens to begin designing the upload process.

Suddenly the screen froze. He tapped at it a few times, scowling as he said, "JARVIS, fix the glitch on this screen. We're on a deadline here."

When JARVIS didn't respond, Tony glanced around. EVERYTHING was frozen. Bruce didn't breathe or blink, no lights flashed, nothing.

Tony grabbed for the nearest drawer that held a spare gauntlet. The drawer didn't move.

He looked around and said, "Okay, what's going on here and who the hell is responsible?"

A woman stepped out of thin air. She was tall, thin, bald, and pale. She said, "Not you, that's for certain."

Tony scoffed and said, "Well, Chrome Done, want to unpause...everything? Got a lot to do and not much time."

The woman eyed him a moment, then ignored him as she stepped forward and lifted the scepter.

"What the hell," Tony said as he stepped forward and grabbed the woman's arm. He yanked, but fell back as the woman didn't move.

Tony stood up and attacked again and again. Each time he was brushed aside as the woman stood in place easily holding the scepter out of reach.

Finally the woman pushed back and lifted her free hand. Tony was pinned against a cabinet. He snarled, "Who the hell do you think you are."

The woman replied, "Someone who has seen the tragedy your arrogance will unleash upon the world. Like a spoiled child, you seem to have nothing inside you to control your impulses. You do what you want, when you want, and leave others to clean up your messes. But not this time."

She eyed him a moment before continuing, "Savor this moment, Stark, for when I leave all of your teammates will become aware EXACTLY what you planned, and EXACTLY how you reacted to the idea of consulting them before engaging in this foolhardy action."

As Tony gulped, the woman gestured and a portal opened up. As she stepped through it, she said, "Tell Thor I will return this item to him and NOT do anything more than study it, unlike you."

As she disappeared, Tony could hear Thor's shout of "WHAT MADNESS IS THIS?" from three floors away.


	4. Tony can't get over his own ego, even to save the universe

Inspired by a blog comment.  
So...Steve sends a letter apologizing for not telling Tony his parents were killed by Hydra (which was ALL Steve SUSPECTED, according to the writers and directors), and explaining his own position on the Accords while not denigrating Tony's decisions. And doesn't even mention how Tony is a giant hypocrite for breaking the Accords. Steve sends Tony a phone and promises that if they're needed, Team Cap will be there. Yet when Bruce arrives with news of Thor's death and Thanos's impending arrival, Tony doesn't call. He doesn't warn Team Cap that the Mind Stone and Vision are in danger. Bruce has to force the issue for Tony to even THINK about it.  
Funny how prop-Tony folks want Tony to be excused for not calling because Tony apparently couldn't man up for an awkward conversation, but don't give Steve an ounce of sympathy for the reasons he avoided talking about the Starks' deaths. And note that Steve was coming from a place of genuine concern for Tony and an unconscious attempt to spare himself by not looking into the matter. Tony couldn't set aside his own ego to have a five-minute conversation that may have saved Vision from injury and altered the course of Infinity War.  
What if someone got tired of Tony's sulking?

*****

Wong watched Stark demand that Banner AGAIN explain about the mad Titan Thanos and his plans to halve all life in the universe. He could feel the time slipping away from them with every moment of inaction. He said, "We've heard this already. We must gather all of our forces now, before it's too late. Where are the other Avengers?"

Stark shifted in his seat and shrugged. He said, "Gone AWOL after the big breakup over the Accords."

Bruce looked over. He asked, "What? We need to get everyone together NOW."

Stark snapped, "It's not that easy. I...we're not on speaking terms."

Wong shared a look with Strange. The Sorcerer Supreme made a gesture at Stark that caused an object in his pocket to gleam through his clothing.

Strange nodded and Wong made his own gesture. A flip-phone flew out of Stark's pocket and into Wong's hands. Wong opened it and saw one number and the name: Steve Rogers.

He shot a disgusted look at Stark as he pressed the Send button. When the call connected, he said, "Earth--the universe is in danger. A being named Thanos is coming for the Mind Stone. Keep it safe at all costs. Gather whoever you can and get to a safe location. We have a battle to plan."


	5. Tony is not "coded" for anything except middle-aged, overprivileged, white billionaire

These assertions are just bizarre. Being short with "slender wrists" does not make Tony "trans=coded," "female-coded," nor "female representation in STEM." Being a pale shade of tan does not make Tony "POC-coded." Having the Iron Man suit does not make Tony "disabled-coded." He is certainly not "queer-coded," given his sneering at being homosexual and trans in one of the Iron Man films. It's incredibly biased (not to mention ironic) to try to claim minority considerations for a middle-aged, white, heterosexual billionaire who abuses his privileges to cause harm to actual minority characters. Also, legit writers only "code" for characters when the actual minorities don't exist in the work's universe, such as sci-fi or fantasy. There are women, POCs, and characters with different challenges in the MCU. This is just another grab for false sympathy for a character who hasn't earned it.  
What if someone called out the ridiculousness of the notion?

*****

Tony spun around in his chair and said, "So, we've got to get some good publicity about me out there to squash all the articles about how my team caused most of the damage at the airport." He continued in a lower tone, "Not to mention all the civil rights violations that are turning up now that people actually read the Accords."

He stopped the chair, set his elbows on the table, and said, "How about a profile about me blazing a trail in the STEM industries for other people of my kind?"

Jack, the unfortunate PR member volunteered for this meeting, cleared his throat and asked, "Um, what 'kind' is that, sir?"

Tony grinned and spread his hands. He said, "Why, I'm the perfect example of the female or trans, POC person using assistive devices! Plus I could pass for bi if I really had to." He waggled his brows at Jack.

Jack looked at his tablet, looked out the windows, looked anywhere but at his boss. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. Then he asked, "Um, sir, forgive me for asking, but are you a trans person?"

"Nope," Tony said as he began to spin again.

Jack asked, "What is the basis for the POC designation, sir?"

"Oh, I'm part Italian, or Jewish, or something," Tony said as he waved his hand in the air. He continued, "Plus I make sure I get plenty of sun."

Jack looked down at his (still blank) tablet, then asked, "And by assistive device, sir, do you mean the Iron Man suit?"

"Of course," Tony answered as he stopped again and slapped his hands on the table. He asked, "When can you have a first draft for my review?"

Jack got up and began backing toward the door. He said, "I'm sure I can put something together by this evening, sir." As he escaped back to his office, Jack realized that he'd need to resign before he published his expose on how Tony Stark was NOT trans, female, POC, or using assistive devices, but WAS incredibly delusional.


	6. Tony makes a habit of attacking his teammates

Anyone else notice that Tony verbally or physically attacks people on his own team in quite a few movies? He went after Rhodey during IM2, Steve (verbally) and Thor (physically) in Avengers 1, Bruce (verbally) and Steve (physically, he shoots him with a repulsor) in Avengers 2, all of Team Cap with LIVE AMMO in Civil War, and Peter (verbally) in Homecoming and IW. What if Rhodey had actually shut that behavior down when it first happened? (After all, before IW prop-Tony folks claimed Rhodey COULDN'T POSSIBLY work with Team Cap because Rhodey was too law and order/by the book to do anything with the fugitives except turn them in.)

*****

Silence reigned in the destroyed party room. Tony lay sprawled against the mangled fireplace, while Rhodey stood and stared. Part of him wanted to fly off with the War Machine armor and claim it for his own. But he had other responsibilities. He flicked on the comm system.

A older woman's voice said, "911. What is the nature of your emergency?"

Rhodey sighed and said, "I'm not sure if you already got calls on this, but I'm at Stark Mansion. Tony Stark is in the Iron Man suit while extremely intoxicated. He endangered dozens of guests by firing lasers and other weaponry in a crowded space. He resisted all attempts to subdue him."

The operator said, "Yes, we are receiving calls and footage. Standard and SWAT units are on the way."

Rhodey ended the call and flipped up his visor. He saw the redhead---Pepper's assistant---step into view with a weird weapon that looked like some kind of sci-fi prop. He regarded Tony a moment before saying, "I suggest you power down before somebody makes you. And turn over all of the suit footage and data on your blood-alcohol level. Otherwise the cops will confiscate the suit when they come to arrest you."

Tony snorted and sat up. He said, "You still think you can take me, old man?"

The redhead pressed the device to the side of Tony's armored head. She was absolutely calm as she said, "I'LL stop you, if I have to. But this little EMP generator hasn't been tested, so I'm not exactly sure what it does. It could, for example, power down the suit. It could also power down the arc reactor."

She raised one eyebrow and asked, "Do you really want to find out which it is?"

After a long moment, the Iron Man armor depowered and opened. As Tony stood, two cops stepped forward with handcuffs.

But before they could do anything, the redhead stepped forward and said, "Just a minute, boys."

Rhodey opened his own armor as the redhead frisked Tony with ruthless efficiency, confiscating every device and tool he had on him. Fast enough that Tony had no time for his typical crass remarks. She pulled out a case and looked at Tony. She said, "Someone will be by later to give you a booster. Not that it'll do much good with all of the alcohol in your system."

Tony shrugged and tilted his chin. He said, "I have an excuse. Health problems. I---" 

Rhodey interrupted, "No health problem forces you to get blitzed and fire weapons in a crowded room."

He shook his head in disgust and continued, "I'll call your lawyer, but I don't think you'll be getting out of these charges." And Tony SHOULDN'T. As little as Rhodey wanted to admit it, Tony deserved to go to jail. The man was so far gone he couldn't even recognize right from wrong, or friend from foe.

As Tony was escorted out, Rhodey wondered if Tony ever really did. And realized that he would be sorely disappointed if Tony once again managed to slither out of the charges against him.


	7. Nebula and Tony are NOTHING alike

Ugh. There are several online essays saying Tony is just like other, better characters. Someone claimed that Tony and Nebula would bond over "horrible childhoods." As if Nebula being kidnapped, brainwashed, set against her sister, and systematically mutilated for decades is on par with Tony having a "father who never said he loved Tony." (Howard actually did say it, in IM2.) So instead of Nebula and Tony bonding over non-existent parallels, let's have Nebula find out that Tony slices off mechanical limbs like they don't even count. (Bucky's sense of touch demonstrated in the Civil War market scene shows the mechanical arm had feeling and sensitivity like a real arm. But of course, to prop-Tony folks it's just another piece of equipment for Tony to destroy because he "got upset.")

*****

Nebula had quickly learned the intricacies of Terran technology. She and Rocket had bonded with Friday, who warmed up to them enough to share tidbits of the planet's history, along with stories of the present and missing Avengers.

Rocket's wandering monologue about the gadgets he'd seen on this backward planet caught Nebula's attention again with mention of a mechanical arm. She lifted a hand to catch the rodent's eye. She asked, "Someone had a mechanical limb?" Although the other man in armor used assistive braces, she had seen nothing more of prosthetics save for Thor's replacement eye.

Rocket nodded and said, "Yeah. Gonna have to get me one of them. Was black and gold and totally OK for this armpit of a planet."

Nebula said, "Friday, show me this man with the arm."

After a long pause, Friday said, "I don't have any photos or schematics of Sergeant Barnes' replacement limb. It was crafted in Wakanda, and I have no access to their servers."

"Huh," Rocket said. He leaned back in his booster chair. He asked, "Well, do you have anything on the guy's original? That would be worth looking at, I guess."

After another moment, a hologram screen started showing footage of what Nebula learned was a companion of the Avenger known as Steve Rogers. She leaned forward, fascinated with the story of James Buchanan Barnes. He was a soldier who was kidnapped, stripped of will and personality. He had at least one body part replaced without his consent.

Footage of him fighting...his friend?...led to reports of disappearance, then sudden celebrity as a bomber. Then another disappearance when the real bomber was captured.

Rocket waved a tiny paw and asked, "So...what happened to the arm?"

Friday said, "I'm not allowed to show you."

Nebula frowned and said, "We'll see about that." She used her cyborg replacements to sift through the databases of the Avengers, then Stark himself. She gasped when she found the truth.

Rocket sat up and asked, "What you got?"

Nebula used her own eye to project the scene: The Iron Man attacking Barnes and Rogers. Barnes almost escaping until almost hit by Stark's missile. Rogers' desperate fight to disable the armor and protect his friend. And then...

Nebula did not ingest food. But she felt like throwing up just the same as Stark sliced off the mechanical arm. It lay smoking and sparking on the floor as Stark shot Barnes in the back. Then they watched Barnes reaching up to distract Stark from threatening Rogers, earning Barnes a kick in the head from Stark's armored boot. Barnes lay unmoving.

She swallowed and stopped the projection. She noticed Rocket staring at her and looked back. Then they both looked at her hands. Her mechanical hands, arms, feet, legs...everything.

Rocket bared his teeth and dropped a paw to the handle of his gun. He said, "That fucker comes anywhere near you, I'll blow his head off."

Nebula nodded. She would be far more wary of the Iron Man from now on.


	8. Carol Danvers and Tony Stark are NOTHING alike

People like to say that Carol and Tony are alike because they're both "snarky rebels," but it isn't true. From the clips I've seen, Carol is snarky but not mean in her quips and comments. Tony makes fun of people's traumas and goes for the low blow pretty often. Also, Carol's rebelling against a system that discriminates against women (while on Earth) and mistreated her (in space). Tony "rebels" against people who expect him to be a responsible adult and "rebels" by ignoring his obligations to others. There's nothing admirable in that. What if Carol actually met Tony Stark before she was Captain Marvel?

*****

Carol finished her beer and set the empty bottle on the bar. Being on leave in Vegas wasn't all that exciting when you flew experimental planes for a living. Especially when a weapons convention had filled the hotel with swaggering officers and other jerks. She glanced over at Maria, her fellow pilot, and asked, "You sure we can't fly to Louisiana? I really want the home-town tour."

Maria nodded as she pushed her own empty bottle forward. She said, "Even if we had the time to get there and back, we wouldn't be allowed. After all, we're providing 'our unique expertise' at the convention booth tomorrow."

Carol frowned. What Maria really meant was that they were expected to smile and hand out pamphlets. And avoid all the unwanted attention. Even tonight at the bar, with the both of them in comfortable jeans, T-shirts, jackets, and boots, they were still getting plenty of guys leering at them from around the room.

Suddenly an arm wrapped around Carol and Maria's waists. They were pulled against a man's body. As she looked over, Tony Stark waggled his brows and said, "Hey, how about you let me buy you two flying angels a refill in my suite? I've got the good stuff---and all the cool toys. We could...talk."

As Maria pushed away, Carol turned slightly and braced her body against the bar. She rolled her eyes at Stark's way-too-typical behavior. The man seemed to think because he was a big government contractor that he was welcome wherever he went. Carol asked, "Aren't you supposed to be giving a speech or something right now?" Though why anyone wanted to listen to this jerkoff was beyond her. She'd heard about how THE Stark of Stark Industries didn't give a shit about the business beyond how it helped him get his next drink and his next one-night-stand.

Stark waved the arm that Maria had escaped and said, "I'd rather spend my time giving something to YOU." He leered at Carol.

Carol took a moment to imagine punching the smug look off Stark's face or grabbing Stark's arm and flipping him over the bar. But she actually loved flying, and she knew she didn't have a chance of staying in the service if Tony Stark whined about a female pilot being 'mean' to him. Maybe someday things would be different, but for now she was stuck playing nice.

Instead, Carol slipped out of Stark's grip and slid her own arm around Maria, who smiled back and played along. Carol said, "We have other plans."

Stark leered again and said, "Well, maybe I could watch."

Carol shook her head as she and Maria turned away. She said over her shoulder, "Nope---we actually want to enjoy ourselves."


	9. Magneto and Tony Stark ARE alike---in all the bad ways

I haven't seen the X-Men films, so I'm basing this on what I saw online. However much I sympathize with what he's suffered, I don't think Magneto should have killed Sebastian Shaw. Vengeance is not justice. And from other clips I've seen, Magneto doesn't seem to care too much if non-enhanced folks get hurt. So Tony's attack on Steve and Bucky was similarly cold-blooded and villainous. That being said, Tony is actually WORSE than Magneto in some ways. Magneto at least managed to attack the person actually responsible for his mother's death. Tony attacked Bucky even though he KNEW Bucky was not responsible. Tony even says it in the film, "I don't care." And according to the writers and directors, Tony wasn't even avenging his mother's death. Instead, Tony was trying to kill Bucky to punish Steve. Tony wanted to kill Bucky with his bare hands, as if to say to Steve, "You love this thing so much, so I'm going to take it from you." What if Magneto found out what Tony Stark was up to? (I know some folks say Captain America liberated Magneto from a concentration camp, but I don't think the MCU is going with that story.)

*****

The moment Tony stepped into his workshop, he knew something was wrong. He could see bits of metal twisted into strange, complex shapes, like someone had pulled the material like taffy and froze it into place. He moved to deploy his gauntlet-watch when a voice said, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Tony turned to see a shadowy figure in the corner. A cloak and a strange helmet covered most of the man's face and body. Tony asked, "Who the hell are you and how did you get in here?" And wondered why hadn't Friday called the cops?

The man said, "A protector of enhanced beings, the ones you and your new overlord Thaddeus Ross are hunting. And I walked in, of course." 

With a wave of his hand, the man continued, "But the most important question for you, Stark, is WHY am I here?" 

Tony shouted as a piece of metal flew through the air to wrap around his wrists like a ribbon, sealing the watch where Tony couldn't reach it and pinning him in place. Tony said, "What the hell?"

Tony gulped as the man drew nearer and loomed over him. He still couldn't see the man's face, which remained in shadow. The man said, "I've seen men like you all of my life. Born to privilege, and abusing that privilege to ignore the laws you force on others. All of you, cowards and hypocrites at heart."

The man leaned close enough for Tony to see the cold, clear anger in the man's eyes. The man said, "Continue to be Ross's attack dog, and I will put you down like one."

Then with a whirl of his cape the man was gone, leaving Tony trapped in the manacles formed out of scraps like the ones littered all over the workshop. 

Tony gulped as he realized that the stranger could make good on his promise.


	10. Tony is not the smartest person in the MCU 1

It's funny how quickly prop-Tony fics went from Tony "adopting" Shuri (despite the fact that, like Peter, her relatives are still alive) to bashing her. The reason for the change? The announcement that Shuri is the smartest person in the MCU. Then came the excuses: Shuri has vibranium, Shuri grew up in a technologically advanced society, Shuri didn't actually invent all that tech, someone else did... It all sounds like jealousy to me. What if we examine the difference between Tony and the other inventors and scientists? (This is also based on someone commenting online that Peter's school apparently salutes Steve and the Howling Commandos, Abraham Erskine, Bruce Banner and Howard Stark, but not TONY Stark.)

*****

Peter and Ned nudged and shoved each other as they walked behind Principal Morita and the ACTUAL GENIUS PRINCESS Shuri of Wakanda during the school tour. The four of them were followed by two powerful-looking Wakandan women who were the Princess's bodyguards.

The principal said, "I can't tell you how much we appreciate your generosity. Your donation of funds and equipment will mean that our students have an opportunity to become familiar with technologies and techniques we couldn't have dreamed of providing with our current budget."

Shuri looked over her shoulder to wink at Peter. She said, "I heard you had quite the diverse student body here, so I thought it would be perfect for one of our Inventors of Tomorrow grants."

As they stopped in what Peter privately called the Hall of Geniuses, Shuri gestured at the murals and portraits of scientists and inventors. She grinned and said, "So, do I get a picture on your wall?"

Principal Morita chuckled and said, "I thought you wanted your donation to be anonymous. Besides, giving the school money doesn't buy you a spot."

Ned and Peter looked at each other when Shuri raised her eyebrows and asked, "What do you mean?"

Morita gestured toward the mural and said, "Well, take Howard Stark for example. He's on the wall as a salute to the self-made man, and because he was a hero of World War 2. But we also use Howard Stark as an example of where technology can go wrong. The main focus of his company for a long time, even after his death, was building weapons. In some ways that could be seen as a waste of his genius. And we'd never put his son, Tony Stark in here. Because despite ending the sale of weapons to others, Tony Stark is still making them---just for his armored suits. And all of his other inventions, like the arc reactor, are pretty much for his own and his friends' use rather than tech that's transforming the world."

Ned cleared his throat. When the others turned to look at him, he blushed and said, "Uh, sir, and, um, Princess, Howard Stark and Anton Vanko designed the original arc reactor. Tony Stark only miniaturized it."

Peter nodded and added, "Yeah, Howard Stark invented those cool repulsor beams too, back in the 1940s." He didn't mention that he knew that because he'd heard the story of the "sort of flying car" from Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes directly. Because, of course, Spider-Man was the one who sometimes hung out with super soldiers. 

Shuri nodded and said, "Wakanda has withheld a lot of its gifts from the world, but we're slowly trying to open up more to the exchange of ideas. And this seems like a good place to start."

When she smiled at Peter, HE blushed.


	11. Tony is not the smartest person in the MCU 2

As kalaong suggested in the comments, Tony Stark isn't smart enough to realize his own privilege. And as folks online have pointed out, that privilege keeps him from facing the consequences to most of his actions. Since the end of IM1, no matter whose lives he risks or the damage he does, at the end of the day he goes back to his money, home, employee-friends, and fiancee. Tony screws up again and again and gets to walk away while others pay the price. The funny thing is, the prop-Tony folks exaggerate his "suffering" to try to elicit sympathy that Tony hasn't earned. What if Tony tried complaining to another privileged (but far more conscientious) billionaire?

*****

T'Challa took a moment to study the heroes who brought Shuri, him, and the other snapped people back to life. After ensuring Wakanda's well-being, he hoped to spend time with these brave people in the coming weeks. So many had risen above hard times and harsh upbringings to step forward and do the right thing. T'Challa wondered if he had met them in other circumstances, whether he would have dismissed them for not being on his level of wealth, society, and opportunity. He hoped not.

He turned his head as Tony Stark sauntered over, a glass of amber liquid in his hand. Stark raised his glass and said, "A toast, to getting back to where we belong."

T'Challa frowned but lifted his own glass and took a sip. He said, "It will be wonderful to see Wakanda again, but there will be much work to do." So many people had suffered, mainly the ones left behind to put the world back together.

T'Challa asked, "What do you plan to do first?" He was sure Shuri was already dreaming up plans to repair the world's infrastructure. T'Challa would likely be forced to attend many meetings filled with people arguing on how to move forward. He was determined to make sure that the Accords were destroyed before anyone else was harmed by them, and that the rogue heroes were not punished for being anti-Accords. He could only hope that humanity came out of this experience with a better sense of fellowship and community.

Stark answered, "Well, I've got a half-dozen projects sitting on my workbench. Plus putting Thaddeus Ross on hold again---that's my own little personal fuck you."

T'Challa frowned. Of course Thaddeus Ross would not be able to punish Stark for his "little rebellion." Unlike most of the rest of the heroes, Stark's billions made him untouchable.

Stark continued, "And I'll be planning a 'Hey I saved the universe' bash. You and the little princess should come. Everyone who's anyone will be there. Well, everyone who can show their face in New York without getting arrested."

T'Challa looked again at the soldiers, scientists, spies, robots, cyborgs, aliens, and gods assembled. And thought of how few of them could return to their own homes without facing severe consequences. He shook his head and said, "Thank you, but I have other plans."


	12. Tony is not the smartest person in the MCU 3

There are several kinds of intelligence, but Tony unfortunately only exhibits the technological kind. He isn't street-smart at all (he gets duped in every one of the Iron Man films), doesn't stop to think or consider consequences to others (Iron Man and Avengers films), and demonstrates absolutely zero emotional intelligence (if he had any, he wouldn't be so mean and disrespectful of everyone around him). What if he tried to boast of his smarts to someone not impressed at all? (Partly inspired by the person online who pointed out that Tony's "kill mode" was ready to engage at the slightest threat, meaning it would have made Peter an executioner based on someone's reputation rather than their actions.)

*****

Ned frowned as he shifted in his chair. He didn't think he'd done anything to get himself in trouble, but he'd been ordered to report to an empty office and wait.

Suddenly the door slammed open and Tony Stark walked in. He threw himself into the chair behind the desk and said, "Listen, kid, I'm on a tight schedule so here's the deal. I know you're the one who hijacked a certain suit, so you've got one of two options. You can come intern for me, or I can place a call to your parents to let them know about your extra-curricular activities."

Ned blinked. He wasn't sure what to complain about first. The fact that he was in this room with a stranger and no parental supervision, that he had confirmation that Mr. Tony Stark thought it was okay to blackmail children (not just Peter), or...

Ned sat up straight and scowled at a man he once thought was the greatest inventor in the world. He said, "You made protection on a super-powered suit that was so weak I was able to hack it with a piece-of-crap laptop. You also had installed a kill mode for a kid who doesn't want to hurt anybody, much less kill them. And you took the suit away the second that kid decided that doing what he thought was right was more important than obeying a guy who ignored him for months."

Ned shook his head and continued, "I hacked way more than just the suit, Mr. Stark. Leave me and my friends alone---all of us---or the world will find out about all those things you thought you could hide."

He stood up and frowned as he said, "And never, NEVER try to be alone in a room with a kid ever again."

Ned walked out to file a complaint. He was damn sure Principal Morita didn't know ANYTHING about this. But he would soon enough.


	13. People dislike Tony because he's a jerk

Some prop-Tony folks claim that Tony isn't liked because people don't like his "realistic portrayal of mental illness." No, people don't like Tony because he's a jerk who treats people like dirt and doesn't face the consequences of his actions. His recklessness, hypocrisy, and betrayals endanger the lives and well-being of others, but since IM1, Tony walks away from everything and goes back to his life scot-free. As one person noted, TONY is the one who judges others for their mental states. In AoU, Steve quietly deals with his unsettling vision, which revealed that he still struggles with PTSD. Steve doesn't take out his bad mood on anyone else, so Tony makes snide remarks about Steve's "dark side." As if Tony's emotional assaults on everyone around him were the only acceptable way to deal with trauma. What if someone overhead that conversation?

*****

Steve ripped the log in his hands. He felt the anguish welling up in him again---the fear when the flashbulbs turned into gunfire, the wine that became blood, Peggy smiling at him and then disappearing... He clenched his jaw on the cutting things he could say about Tony and Tony's "dark side"---especially the way the whole world was paying for Tony's mistakes.

But instead he closed his eyes and held on to his temper. He didn't have to stoop to childish taunts. It wouldn't help anything.

"Stark, you can shut up right now."

Steve opened his eyes to see Nick Fury standing in the Bartons' back yard. From Tony's dropped jaw, he hadn't known Fury was alive these last few years.

Tony stiffened and said, "I thought you were busy being dead the last few years. Where do you get off telling me---"

"I said, shut up." Fury stepped forward and continued, "You caused the problem here. Ultron was your baby. You played with things you couldn't understand because you weren't honest about what you were doing."

Tony shouted, "You don't know what's out there! You don't understand how I can't deal with---"

"No, YOU don't understand that you should have got your shit together when you had a chance," Fury said as he got in Tony's face. He continued, "You had years to work on your issues. You knew that you were a risk to everyone around you and did nothing. Even though you could afford every therapist and program in the world. All you had to do was admit to a professional you had a problem. And now you CAUSED this problem."

Fury shook his head and gestured at the house. He said, "And now the rest of us get to clean up yours and Banner's mess. So don't you dare give ANYONE shit for handling their demons better than you do."


	14. To be pro-Accords is to be pro-Tony belongs in jail

This is such a funny truth, because Tony admits it himself in the film: He should be arrested and thrown in jail for violating the Accords. So all of the prop-Tony folks who go on and on (and on) about the "117 countries" and "respecting sovereign borders" should be complaining how Tony, an actual signer of the Accords, violated sovereign borders AND the Accords. Tony belongs on the Raft MORE than the others, because he is a hypocrite who violated the Accords that he tried to force on everyone else. You know who else is a hypocrite? Anyone who claims they're pro-Accords but hand-waves away the fact that Tony is a criminal who should be rotting in jail. (Without access to legal counsel, a trial, or recourse to the writ of habeas corpus, just like the Accords said.) So what if someone less gracious than T'Challa and Team Cap found out about Tony's illegal jaunt to Siberia?

*****

Everett Ross paled as he watched the video. Iron Man was tracked crossing far too many international borders on his way to...according to the GPS overlay, Siberia. The final images were even more damning---Tony Stark carrying his faceplate, a mechanical arm, and Captain America's shield. Still in Siberia.

In another window on the computer screen, Christine Everhart said, "That's the footage we're leading with. I'm giving you a chance to get in front of this because you were so helpful in giving us an interview with the Vienna bomber. Even if Zemo mostly responded to my questions with grunts and stares."

She leaned forward and continued, "Our sources have date-time stamps for everything. This clearly occurred before Zemo was brought in. So...What is our headline going to be? 'Stark arrested for Accords violations'? Or 'Accords corruption: How a billionaire ignores the Accords'?"

Ross sat back in his chair and stared at the newscaster. He asked, "I don't suppose you'd consider losing this footage?"

Christine frowned and answered, "No. Not a chance. Tony Stark is the leading pro-Accords Avenger. That he's pulling his usual 'I do what I want and screw you' stunts is disgusting and something the world should know."

She continued, "So I ask you again: What do I report? Stark's arrest or YOUR obstruction of international justice?"

Ross frowned as he considered his own secrets, especially about the new King of Wakanda. He shrugged and said, "Have a camera crew at Stark's compound in two hours. I'll get you exclusive coverage. You'll make the 6pm broadcast."

As Ross closed that connection, he opened up another one. The Raft crew would be getting a new guest this evening.


	15. Ultron was wrong about Steve, but Wanda was right about Tony

I find it amusing that prop-Tony folks are so desperate to find reasons to bash Steve, they take the words of a genocidal robot VILLAIN as gospel truth. Ultron was a program based on Tony's personality, so he understood Steve as little as Tony does. Ultron said Steve couldn't live "without a war." Steve's vision in AoU was about his PTSD and the realization that all of his old life (his old home) was gone. But at the end of the film Steve states that he's found a new one with his newly recruited team of Avengers, so Ultron was wrong.  
On the other hand, Wanda absolutely nailed her observation of "like father, like son" between Tony and Ultron: Both are incapable of knowing the difference between saving the world and destroying it. Tony demonstrates that lack of understanding in almost every film he's in, most recently Infinity War. He took the Time Stone to Thanos to keep a battle off Earth, but failed (again) to understand that the action was pointless because Thanos would come to Earth for the Mind Stone anyway. And Tony didn't understand that all of Earth's guardians had to be united to have a chance at defeating Thanos. Tony's failure cost half the universe their lives. What if someone pointed that out?

*****

Steve sat up in bed, looking around his moonlit room. He blinked at the ghost kneeling at the foot of his bed. He asked, "Wanda?"

She looked a little better than she did during that last battle. Still careworn and tired, but no longer full of grief and terror. She said, "Hello Steve."

Steve asked, "Am I dreaming?" He couldn't really tell.

"Yes...and no," Wanda replied. She said, "I wanted you to know that this wasn't your fault."

Steve looked down and sighed. He said, "It sure feels like it is."

Wanda shook her head. She said, "No, thanks to Stark none of us here on Earth had a chance."

She frowned and continued, "Unfortunately, I was right about him. Like Ultron, he couldn't tell the difference between saving the world and destroying it. So he took the Time Stone to Thanos. And after Thanos had it, Vision's fate was sealed...along with half of all life in the universe."

After a moment of silence, Wanda smiled at Steve and said, "But that is not the purpose of this visit. I wanted to thank you. For still thinking of us, remembering us. But also, for everything you did for me before."

Steve asked, "What do you mean?"

Wanda answered, "You, Clint, Laura, Sam, Rhodey, and Natasha...you gave me a family. And you let Vision and me have a chance to become even closer than that."

She shrugged and said, "That's how I knew Ultron was wrong about you. He said you couldn't live without a war, but you helped me find peace."

Steve wanted to reach out and lay his hand on hers, but he was afraid he'd pass right through her, or wake up. He said, "Thank you. And I'm grateful we're family too."

Wanda said thoughfully, "You know, Tony Stark's recklessness led to the deaths of my parents, my brother...and now my lover and me."

She grinned, but it was a frightening expression. As she faded away, she said, "I think I'll pay him a visit next."


	16. Steve is a true hero

Jealousy seems to be the main motive of the folks who try to bash Steve by saying he's a puppet, propaganda piece, or cardboard hero. Again, they don't seem to bother to watch the films, claiming Steve is a glory hog, selfish, or incompetent. Some of them even go so far as to say Erskine was a self-hating Jew who just picked Steve because he was Aryan or because they needed somebody they didn't care about to test the serum on. Maybe Tony should actually open his eyes and see the real Steve.

*****

As Tony contemplated Rogers' letter and dinosaur of a flip phone, he let his eyes wander over Cap's former office. He stood and walked over to the framed pencil drawing standing on a cabinet.

He picked it up and studied the image of a monkey riding a unicycle. The shield was a nice touch. He murmured to himself, "I wonder where this came from."

FRIDAY answered, "This is a drawing done by Steve Rogers moments before his mission to rescue the prisoners at Azzano, Italy."

Tony looked at the drawing again. None of his dad's reports of Captain America's valor and courage mentioned Cap---Steve, this drawing was Steve's---feeling like a performing monkey. Tony returned to the desk and sat down again. He started opening drawers, flipping through folders, notebooks, and sketchbooks.

As he dug deeper and deeper into Steve's collected thoughts, Tony finally came to understand how truly blind he had been. Tony had been so focused on resenting Captain America that he'd never bothered to get to know Steve. Never really listened to him. Not even when Steve was trying to warn Tony about the threats to the world from the Winter Soldiers---and the Accords. He didn't really even listen to Steve when he tried to apologize in his letter.

Tony put his head in his hands and thought about all of the years he'd wasted seeing only a figment of his own imagination instead of a real person. And Tony wasn't even sure if he meant Steve or himself.


	17. Tony caused the Avengers to fail

Apparently the Captain Marvel comic confirmed that the reason the Avengers failed to stop Thanos was because they weren't united. That's pretty much Tony's fault. 1) He tore the Avengers apart by signing the Accords. (He didn't keep a united front with his teammates to refuse the Accords until they were amended. No one on Team Cap can be reasonably expected to sign away their civil rights, ESPECIALLY when IW proved there weren't going to be any amendments.) 2) He didn't bother to help any of the people on the Raft. 3) He refused to use the phone to warn Team Cap that Vision was in danger. 4) He refused to turn the ship around to keep the Time Stone away from Thanos. 5) He abandoned his job to get the gauntlet off Thanos to lecture Quill. What if the obstacle to togetherness was removed a little sooner? (This one also addresses the truth that Rhodey at least, doesn't hold a grudge.)

*****

Tony looked up from his workbench as he heard Rhodey making his way into the room. He asked, "What's up, Rhodey?"

Rhodey was frowning at the phone in his hand. He looked at Tony and asked, "How long have you had a way to contact Cap?"

Tony dropped the tool he was using and crossed his arms. He said, "I don't. Or, I have it but I'm not going to use it. I don't want to have anything to do with that lying bastard."

Rhodey leaned against the workbench and said, "Yeah, I had a talk with him about your disappearing act when I was in the hospital."

He continued, "And yeah, that was some shitty news you got. But...I can also see where he was coming from, Tones."

Tony frowned and said, "You're MY friend. And I can't believe you'd side with those traitors. They shot you!"

Rhodey frowned and said, "No, that was friendly fire from Vision. On MY orders." 

Rhodey paused and then said, "And it's not like I wanted to take the hit, but can you imagine what would have happened if Wilson hadn't dodged? If that shot was powerful enough to take out the reactor cover, what would it have done to him?"

Tony stood up and said, "I'm not listening to this. It's like everything's forgiven and you're going to invite them over for coffee and a chat next time they're in town."

Rhodey shook his head and said, "Nah. But I'm also not blind, Tony. We're gonna need them someday. For what, I don't know. But we will and we have to keep that line open between us."

He set the phone on the workbench and said, "I'm also getting a phone of my own. Because whatever happened between us, they're still my team. And my friends."


	18. Tony never learns

This is a sad but obvious truth. Tony's been running through the same cycle of behavior since IM2. See an issue. Decide he knows best how to handle it (usually without consulting his teammates). Put his half-assed plan into action without considering the consequences. Watch everything go to crap. Force other people to clean up his mess. Go back to his life with no repercussions to himself. He demonstrates that same lack of progress in IW. He claimed in AoU to understand that the Avengers have to work together. But instead Tony flies off to face Thanos with no one except Spider-Man and Dr. Strange. Even though Tony KNOWS Thanos has at least two stones already. Even if Tony's plan had merit, they already killed Maw. Imagine if Tony had delayed long enough to remember that he's already been taught there's no I in Team...

*****

Tony paced the control center of the ship. His fear was screaming at him to keep Thanos away from Earth. He had his new armor. He had the Spider-Kid and HIS armor. He had the weird magic guy. And Tony had a plan---Attack.

He stopped and stared. He remebered the first time he'd flown off half-cocked and the damage it caused. He remembered that EVERY SINGLE TIME he thought he had the best idea, the only RIGHT idea, he was wrong. So wrong. And how everyone paid the price for those mistakes. He asked himself, "What the hell do I think I'm doing?"

A quick check of the gauges and controls showed they weren't too far out of Earth's atmosphere. He grasped the controls and slowed the ship, letting it drift as he considered alternate plans.

Dr. Strange looked over and asked, "Had a change of heart?"

Tony sighed and nodded. He shifted the ship back toward Earth. He needed to get in comm range so he could check in with Bruce to find out the situation. 

And he had to get in range to make another important call. Even if he didn't have the phone, he still had the number. And he knew that Cap would answer.


	19. Tony doesn't have any excuses

There are some great essays from people who actually experienced in real life what Tony has allegedly gone through. (I say allegedly because a lot of the poor!Tony stuff is based on head canons with no evidence in the films, like Howard considering Steve a son, Tony having no love in his life, Tony being bullied, and so on.) The common theme of all those real-life stories is that all of the real-life people acknowledge that THEY are still responsible for their actions. Having PTSD, having an unloving home life, having childhood trauma, having disappointment and tragedies does not, as one person put it "give you a license to be an asshole." Nor does it give you a pass for committing crimes like kidnapping or attempted murder. For Tony, ALL of his choices are his own. He chooses to be mean to people, he chooses to hide what he's doing, he chooses to recklessly assume he knows best, and he chooses to avoid the consequences of his actions. But what if he had that epiphany...

*****

Tony sat in his workshop, surrounded by screens. All of them playing the in-depth expose on "the real Tony Stark." He cringed at the reports on how he said one thing and did another, like his actions toward Pepper through their whole relationship and his teammates during the Accords disaster. Also how he treated people he had power and influence over---including Peter (though they didn't mention the kid by name). The most detailed segments looked back at his childhood. Seeing things from this new perspective made him remember his mom, Jarvis, Ana, and even a few good memories of his dad. He thought about all of the paths he could have taken and all of the relationships he spoiled with his entitled frat-boy behavior. And he thought about all the bs excuses he'd used to pretend things weren't his fault.

He shook his head and shut everything down. As he stood up to go to bed, he made a promise to himself: Tomorrow would be different.


	20. Tony is the only Avenger left on Team Iron Man

This was a really interesting result of IW. CW had Natasha and T'Challa defecting to Team Cap. Homecoming confirmed Peter never actually knew what he was fighting for. IW had Rhodey and Vision jumping ship to be Team Cap, while Thor and Bruce brought Rocket and Groot to be introduced to Steve Rogers and the rest of the Avengers. Dr. Strange seemed to consider Tony a necessary evil (and the MCU confirmed he'd be Team Cap). Nebula may be hanging out with Tony, but no way is she going to support the Accords either. And ALL of the other heroes on Earth had no problem working together, no matter what happened in the past. So Tony is really the only Avenger left on Team Iron Man. And I'm not sure he even counts, because Team Iron Man was all about the Accords, and Tony's already broken them multiple times. Maybe Tony would rather be Team Cap too?

And this collection is wrapped up! Thanks for reading!

*****

Tony's hands shook as he tried to get control of himself. He was finally back on Earth, and he knew the damage that Thanos's snap caused. He'd already found out that he was one of the incredibly lucky ones. He still had Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy. They had kept his company and his money intact. If he wanted to, he could go back and pick up his very privileged life. Just like he always had.

Tony fiddled with the new packet of nanites on his shirt. He didn't feel ready for anything, but this was his first step back to the team he'd help tear apart. He could only hope that they'd accept him, even if he wasn't expecting a warm welcome.

He stepped out of the quinjet and walked across the pavement and grass to the people standing in front of the main building. He could see the damage that Thanos had done to all of them. If only...

All of Tony's thoughts went quiet as he stopped in front of Cap---Rog---Steve. Steve was still standing up, ready to defend the little guy. Still trusting in individuals and inspiring hope.

Tony put out his hand. And then he felt the warm clasp of Steve's hand on his. Then Tony was being pulled into a hug. He could feel the others closing in around him, patting his shoulders and back. He knew they were talking to him, but he couldn't hear anything. He was feeling too much.

Tony stopped shaking. He had finally come home. And he knew that together, the Avengers---Team Cap, Team Iron Man, Team Everyone---could save it.

**Author's Note:**

> Rec list updated Feb. 13, 2019!
> 
> Visit the [Team Cap rec list](https://gibbs-yeah.dreamwidth.org/) for a list of fics that DON'T bash Team Cap!
> 
> If you know of a fic you'd like to see on the rec list, mention it in a comment on this fic and I'll add it.


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